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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. current — of water
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. charge — in control
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. charge — electricity
  8. current — electric
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. charge — a price
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. current — happening now
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fork — in a road

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