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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. tube — a container
  4. season — of the year
  5. spell — a short time
  6. season — in sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rash — hasty
  10. spell — letters
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rash — a series
  13. drill — the tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. spell — magic
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. charge — a price
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stand — to bear
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. charge — in control

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