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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chest — of your body
  4. face — to point toward
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. chest — a box
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. face — part of the head
  13. spring — the season
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. charge — a price
  17. fine — high quality
  18. spring — of water
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. charge — in control
  21. fine — all right
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. face — to confront
  24. fine — a penalty

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