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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. charge — electricity
  13. kid — child
  14. charge — in control
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chair — a leader
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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