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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. charge — electricity
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. march — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kid — child
  21. charge — in control
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. march — the month
  24. wave — of the sea

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