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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. charge — a price
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. charge — in control
  8. mug — a cup
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mug — a face
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. lie — an untruth

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