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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fall — to drop
  4. band — a ring
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rock — a stone
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fall — the season
  22. band — a music group
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rock — music

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