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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.

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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: cell · present · tear · land · rush · charge · hide · nail

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. charge — in control
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. land — to come down
  9. rush — hurry
  10. charge — electricity
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. present — the time now
  15. cell — in biology
  16. present — a gift
  17. charge — a price
  18. cell — a phone
  19. land — a country
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. present — there
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. land — ground

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