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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — a law
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. charge — in control
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — government
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rush — hurry
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fall — the season
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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