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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — a position
  10. rash — a series
  11. stand — to bear
  12. charge — a price
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rash — hasty
  20. charge — in control
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mine — for digging
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rash — on the skin

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