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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — a thing
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. season — in sport
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rest — a break
  7. current — of water
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. object — to protest
  12. season — of the year
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. current — happening now
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. object — an aim
  20. game — a match
  21. current — electric
  22. charge — in control
  23. game — wild animals
  24. charge — a price

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