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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. staff — a stick
  4. object — to protest
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — in control
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. band — a ring
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. game — wild animals
  16. object — a thing
  17. game — a match
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. staff — employees
  21. band — a music group
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — an aim
  24. ball — a dance

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