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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pass — a permit
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — from a university
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. degree — temperature
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. charge — in control
  17. degree — an amount
  18. season — of the year
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. charge — a price
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. season — in sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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