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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. charge — a price
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fall — the season
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fall — to drop
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wake — a trail
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. charge — in control
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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