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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: present · kid · stick · lean · charge · jam · bay · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. present — the time now
  4. charge — a price
  5. kid — child
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. kid — to tease
  12. lean — to bend
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. present — there
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. charge — in control
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. present — a gift
  20. lean — thin
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bay — a horse colour

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