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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. charge — a price
  5. last — finally
  6. prune — to trim
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. row — to paddle
  14. suit — in cards
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. last — final
  18. charge — in control
  19. row — a line
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. last — to go on
  22. suit — clothes
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bat — in an idiom

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