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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · trunk · charge · land · hide · ground · patient · rule

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. snap — to click
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rule — a law
  5. ground — the earth
  6. land — a country
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. land — to come down
  9. rule — government
  10. ground — a position
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ground — crushed
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. land — ground
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. charge — a price
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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