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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: bay · date · bat · pop · cell · charge · lean · roll

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. charge — a price
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pop — soda
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lean — to bend
  10. charge — in control
  11. date — the fruit
  12. roll — a list
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cell — in biology
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lean — thin
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pop — music
  21. cell — a phone
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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