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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
468
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: object · face · bulb · fine · kid · saw · charge · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fine — all right
  3. object — to protest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. object — an aim
  8. face — to confront
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kid — child
  14. fine — high quality
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kid — to tease
  19. charge — in control
  20. object — a thing
  21. charge — a price
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. charge — electricity

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