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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. root — the cause
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. root — of a word
  10. last — finally
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. charge — in control
  13. root — of a plant
  14. last — final
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. charge — a price
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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