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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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. bay — a horse colour
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bass — low music
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cell — in biology
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cell — a phone
  14. charge — electricity
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. charge — in control
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. charge — a price
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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