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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. charge — a price
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. capital — money
  5. last — finally
  6. object — a thing
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fall — the season
  12. object — an aim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. charge — electricity
  15. object — to protest
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. last — final
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. kick — in football
  21. pop — soda
  22. last — to go on
  23. charge — in control
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com