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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. spell — letters
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lean — to bend
  6. charge — in control
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bass — the fish
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. charge — a price
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bass — low music
  19. spell — magic
  20. cold — not warm
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. spell — a short time
  24. lean — thin

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