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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. kid — child
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kid — to tease
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pass — a permit
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rule — government
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. ground — crushed
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ground — a position
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rule — a law

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