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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wind — moving air
  3. charge — in control
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fine — high quality
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. land — a country
  9. mug — a face
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. charge — electricity
  13. land — ground
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. land — to come down
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. charge — a price
  24. mug — to rob

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