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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. last — to go on
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. charge — in control
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cold — not warm
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bound — certain
  13. charge — electricity
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. last — finally
  21. charge — a price
  22. snap — to click
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. last — final

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