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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. charge — in control
  3. spring — of water
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. spring — a coil
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. charge — a price
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spring — the season
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wind — moving air
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bay — a horse colour

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