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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bass — low music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. charge — electricity
  5. track — a song
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. charge — in control
  8. track — a path
  9. rash — a series
  10. charge — a price
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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