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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 124 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. toast — bread
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. charge — a price
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bat — the animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. charge — in control
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rush — hurry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. chip — to eat
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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