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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. charge — a price
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. charge — electricity
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fine — all right
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. charge — in control
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. temple — a place of worship

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