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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — the animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. drill — the tool
  10. charge — a price
  11. squash — to crush
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. charge — in control
  17. drill — army training
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. kid — child
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. charge — electricity
  23. drill — a practice
  24. squash — the sport

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