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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. spring — of water
  3. fine — all right
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bulb — for light
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. charge — a price
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. charge — electricity
  22. spring — the season
  23. charge — in control
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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