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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. date — the fruit
  3. ground — the earth
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. march — the month
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — crushed
  11. kick — in football
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. charge — a price
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. charge — in control
  18. march — music
  19. bore — to drill
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ground — a position
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bore — to tire

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