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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. charge — in control
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pop — to visit
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hand — help
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rash — a series
  10. pop — soda
  11. game — wild animals
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mark — a trace
  14. game — a match
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pop — music
  18. charge — a price
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rash — hasty
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mark — to pay attention

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