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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. charge — in control
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fine — all right
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kid — child
  10. fine — high quality
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mine — for digging
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chair — a leader
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kid — to tease
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a professorship

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