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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. present — there
  3. charge — a price
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. file — a tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. file — a document
  14. charge — in control
  15. wake — a trail
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. present — the time now
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. file — a line of people

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