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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. charge — a price
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. charge — in control
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lean — thin
  12. mug — a face
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cap — a hat

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