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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. board — a committee
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. last — to go on
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. snap — to click
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. last — finally
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. last — final
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. board — to get on
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. trunk — of a tree

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