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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ground — a position
  3. spell — letters
  4. staff — a stick
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ground — crushed
  7. charge — a price
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. bound — tied together
  11. charge — in control
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spell — a short time
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bound — certain
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bound — obliged
  24. spell — magic

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