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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cap — a lid
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. rule — a law
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. present — the time now
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. charge — electricity
  19. suit — clothes
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. charge — in control
  22. rule — government
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rule — to rule out

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