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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. charge — a price
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. charge — electricity
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. game — wild animals
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fall — to drop
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. saw — the tool
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. charge — in control
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. bay — to keep at bay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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