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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lie — to recline
  4. object — an aim
  5. charge — electricity
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. object — to protest
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. object — a thing
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. spell — letters
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. charge — a price
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spell — magic
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bat — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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