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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. firm — a company
  3. squash — the sport
  4. charge — in control
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rash — hasty
  8. firm — steady
  9. bat — the animal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. squash — to crush
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rash — a series
  21. charge — a price
  22. firm — decided
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rash — on the skin

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