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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. charge — a price
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. shower — rain
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. charge — in control
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fork — a garden tool

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