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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wound — an injury
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. object — an aim
  6. present — a gift
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wound — an injury
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rash — a series
  16. object — to protest
  17. swing — music
  18. charge — in control
  19. date — the fruit
  20. present — there
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. object — a thing
  24. rash — hasty

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