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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. charge — electricity
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. band — a ring
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pitch — completely
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rest — what's left
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. band — a music group

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