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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. charge — in control
  3. fall — the season
  4. race — humankind
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. club — for dancing
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — a contest
  10. club — for golf
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. charge — a price
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. race — the arms race
  16. kick — in football
  17. kid — child
  18. club — a group
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — a division
  24. kid — to tease

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