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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. spring — of water
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. charge — in control
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — the season
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. spring — a coil
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hide — to keep secret

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