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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. charge — a price
  5. branch — a division
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. content — the amount
  12. charge — electricity
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. season — of the year
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. season — in sport
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. content — happy
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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