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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — electricity
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chip — for betting
  13. suit — to fit
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. suit — in cards
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. march — the month
  21. tear — to rip
  22. march — music
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chip — to eat

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