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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bore — to tire
  4. charge — in control
  5. mate — a friend
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lean — thin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — a position
  17. bore — to drill
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mate — a partner
  24. charge — a price

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