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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. charge — in control
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pound — a weight
  5. charge — a price
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. face — to point toward
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. charge — electricity
  21. face — to confront
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bear — to put up with

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