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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. present — there
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stock — goods
  7. hand — help
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rule — a law
  13. charge — in control
  14. present — the time now
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stock — shares
  18. rule — government
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rest — a break
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. present — a gift
  24. hand — in cards

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