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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — a committee
  4. charge — in control
  5. rule — government
  6. mate — a partner
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. shower — rain
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — to get on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mate — a friend
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mate — to breed
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. charge — a price
  20. rule — a law
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. charge — electricity

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