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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bank — for money
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bank — of a river
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. charge — in control
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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