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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. capital — a city
  4. cold — not warm
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — in control
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fork — in a road
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. capital — money
  23. cold — an illness
  24. charge — electricity

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