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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. kick — in football
  3. capital — money
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fall — to drop
  9. field — a subject
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. perch — the fish
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fall — the season
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fall — to drop
  21. capital — a city
  22. charge — in control
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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