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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rash — a series
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cold — an illness
  10. object — to protest
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. object — an aim
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. charge — in control
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rash — hasty
  17. charge — electricity
  18. object — a thing
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mouse — for a computer

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