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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. swing — to play on
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. swing — music
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. spring — of water
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. charge — a price
  19. spring — a coil
  20. charge — in control
  21. spring — the season
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bark — to shout
  24. nail — on a finger

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