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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. charge — in control
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cue — a hint
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rock — music
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rock — a stone
  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