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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: hide · track · stand · cold · lie · charge · object · deal

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. charge — electricity
  3. object — an aim
  4. cold — an illness
  5. track — a song
  6. object — a thing
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. object — to protest
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. track — a path
  13. lie — to recline
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — to keep track
  21. charge — a price
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. charge — in control

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