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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. field — farmland
  5. charge — in control
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. toast — bread
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — a price
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. field — a subject
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. field — for sport

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