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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. club — a group
  11. wax — to grow
  12. charge — a price
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. kid — to tease
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wound — an injury

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