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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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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. spell — magic
  7. chest — of your body
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spell — letters
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rule — government
  14. charge — a price
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chest — a box
  20. rule — a law
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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