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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pit — a hole
  6. charge — in control
  7. court — for sport
  8. charge — a price
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. court — of law
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. charge — electricity
  15. file — a document
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. branch — a division
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. court — of a king
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. file — a tool

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