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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cue — a hint
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. last — finally
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — a price
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. capital — a city
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. last — to go on
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chest — a box
  21. capital — money
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. last — final

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