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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. charge — a price
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rash — hasty
  9. branch — a division
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. face — part of the head
  12. charge — in control
  13. face — to confront
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. rash — a series
  20. bound — obliged
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. face — to point toward
  23. charge — electricity
  24. straw — dry grass

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