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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 120 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. craft — boats
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cold — not warm
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. craft — a skill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — electricity
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. charge — a price
  17. foot — a measure
  18. last — to go on
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cold — an illness
  24. charge — in control

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