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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lean — to bend
  3. shower — rain
  4. charge — a price
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. spring — the season
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. charge — in control
  10. fall — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lean — thin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bore — to tire
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bore — to drill
  23. spring — of water
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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