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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · pit · straw · wind · kid · stand · bay · foot

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pit — in a race
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. charge — in control
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wind — moving air
  17. kid — child
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. charge — a price
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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