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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 120 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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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: stick · cap · charge · fall · game · hide · rest · present

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. present — the time now
  5. rest — a break
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fall — the season
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — a price
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — in control
  23. game — a match
  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