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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cold — not warm
  3. charge — in control
  4. cold — an illness
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stock — goods
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mine — for digging
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stock — shares
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. charge — a price
  24. stock — a soup base

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