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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 116 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: pound · cold · board · content · mouse · wave · hide · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cold — an illness
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pound — a weight
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. charge — in control
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. board — a committee
  17. content — the amount
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. board — to get on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. charge — a price
  23. content — happy
  24. cold — not warm

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