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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. staff — employees
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. staff — employees
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rock — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bore — to tire
  23. charge — in control
  24. mouse — the animal

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