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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. charge — a price
  4. current — happening now
  5. bat — the animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ground — the earth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ground — crushed
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ground — a position
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. current — electric
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. charge — in control
  23. lie — to recline
  24. saw — the tool

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