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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bat — the animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fork — in a road
  19. snap — to click
  20. foot — a measure
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. charge — a price

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