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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. charge — in control
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mug — a face
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mug — to rob
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. fall — to drop
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. charge — a price
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lean — thin

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