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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cap — a hat
  5. ball — a dance
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. spell — magic
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cap — of ice
  10. charge — electricity
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ball — a great time
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. game — a match
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spell — a short time
  21. charge — a price
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. cap — a lid
  24. spell — letters

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