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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. race — the arms race
  7. charge — in control
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. race — humankind
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. race — a contest
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. deal — an agreement

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