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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. capital — a city
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rash — a series
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. capital — money
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stock — goods
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. charge — in control
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. charge — a price
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stock — shares
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cabinet — ministers

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