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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. charge — in control
  7. cue — for pool
  8. tear — to rip
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. cue — a signal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. charge — electricity
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. row — a line
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bat — the animal

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