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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cue — a hint
  3. charge — a price
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. vault — a safe
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rash — a series
  11. cue — for pool
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rash — hasty
  16. charge — electricity
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. charge — in control
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. foot — the bottom

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