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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. fall — the season
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. field — for sport
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. toast — bread
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. field — farmland
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. field — a subject

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