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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: saw · charge · toast · rash · game · hide · board · staff

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — a stick
  4. toast — bread
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. game — a match
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. charge — electricity
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — a price
  19. staff — employees
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. charge — in control
  23. staff — employees
  24. saw — the tool

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