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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. charge — a price
  3. rule — government
  4. fall — the season
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rule — a law
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rock — a stone
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rock — music
  23. charge — in control
  24. kid — child

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