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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.

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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. charge — electricity
  4. land — a country
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. land — to come down
  8. charge — in control
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cell — a phone
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — the season
  16. charge — a price
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cell — in biology
  19. ground — a position
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — of water
  22. land — ground
  23. ground — crushed
  24. hide — animal skin

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