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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fall — the season
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. fall — to drop
  9. charge — in control
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fall — to drop
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. charge — a price
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. row — a line

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