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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chest — of your body
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. charge — in control
  10. chest — of your body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. board — to get on
  13. cap — a hat
  14. charge — electricity
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chest — a box
  17. board — a committee
  18. fine — all right
  19. cap — a lid
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fine — high quality
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. shower — to wash

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