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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. file — a document
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. file — a tool
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wake — a trail
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. charge — in control
  23. file — a line of people
  24. roll — a list

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