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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. content — happy
  3. cap — a hat
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cap — of ice
  6. content — the amount
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fall — the season
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. chip — to eat
  16. charge — in control
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. charge — a price
  21. rock — music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pound — a weight

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