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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bark — to shout
  5. charge — a price
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. suit — clothes
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — hurry
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hand — in cards
  20. suit — in cards
  21. key — in music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. march — the month

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