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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · cabinet · field · row · mate · charge · rest · land

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. charge — a price
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rest — a break
  7. land — a country
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. charge — electricity
  12. land — ground
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. field — for sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. charge — in control
  18. row — a line
  19. land — to come down
  20. rest — what's left
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. rest — what's left
  24. row — a quarrel

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