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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mate — to breed
  6. charge — electricity
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mate — a friend
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. field — farmland
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mate — a partner
  22. branch — a division
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bay — a horse colour

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