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

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. land — ground
  5. lean — to bend
  6. charge — a price
  7. chair — a leader
  8. land — a country
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. charge — electricity
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. charge — in control
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lean — thin
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. land — to come down

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