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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rule — a law
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rule — government
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. charge — a price
  15. ground — a position
  16. sharp — clever
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ground — crushed
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rule — to rule out
  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