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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. last — finally
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. clip — for paper
  10. last — final
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. charge — in control
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. spring — the season
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut
  19. charge — a price
  20. spring — of water
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — to go on
  24. stand — on your feet

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