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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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. fine — all right
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. charge — in control
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. object — a thing
  9. spell — magic
  10. fine — high quality
  11. object — an aim
  12. spell — letters
  13. charge — a price
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ground — a position
  18. spell — a short time
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. ground — crushed
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. object — to protest

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