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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rest — a break
  6. charge — a price
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. face — to confront
  11. march — music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rest — what's left
  18. charge — in control
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. face — part of the head
  23. snap — to click
  24. rest — what's left

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