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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. charge — in control
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chest — of your body
  5. game — a match
  6. charge — a price
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rash — a series
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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