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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. scale — size or range
  4. charge — electricity
  5. club — a group
  6. rule — a law
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. kick — in football
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. charge — a price
  12. rule — government
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. club — for dancing
  22. charge — in control
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. club — for golf

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