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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: mate · hide · rush · clip · deal · rest · lie · charge

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. charge — a price
  4. clip — for paper
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lie — to recline
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rest — a break
  21. clip — a video
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mate — a partner

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