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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chest — a box
  3. prune — to trim
  4. face — to confront
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. face — part of the head
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — electricity
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. charge — in control
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. face — to point toward
  24. track — to keep track

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