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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hand — in cards
  4. charge — in control
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mine — for digging
  9. charge — a price
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. hand — help
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lean — thin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chip — to eat
  24. hand — part of the body

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