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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. season — in sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. land — to come down
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. charge — electricity
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — ground
  17. season — of the year
  18. charge — in control
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. land — a country
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. charge — a price
  24. nail — for a hammer

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