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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. season — in sport
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ground — crushed
  6. can — to be able to
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. charge — a price
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — a position
  13. last — to go on
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. can — a tin
  17. last — final
  18. season — of the year
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. last — finally
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ground — the earth
  24. charge — in control

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