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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. charge — in control
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. land — ground
  7. row — a line
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. land — to come down
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cold — not warm
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cold — an illness
  14. foot — a measure
  15. season — in sport
  16. charge — a price
  17. mine — for digging
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. season — of the year
  20. land — a country
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. foot — part of the body

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