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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. track — a song
  3. lean — to bend
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. track — a path
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lean — thin
  10. charge — electricity
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitch — completely
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. charge — in control
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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