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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. club — for golf
  4. ground — the earth
  5. club — for dancing
  6. charge — in control
  7. face — to confront
  8. band — a music group
  9. face — to point toward
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. dip — to sink
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ground — crushed
  14. face — part of the head
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. club — a group
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. band — a ring
  21. ground — a position
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. charge — a price

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