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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
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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: court · sharp · cold · snap · jam · lean · charge · hide

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. cold — an illness
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. court — of law
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. lean — thin
  15. charge — in control
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cold — not warm
  20. charge — a price
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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