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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. season — in sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. charge — a price
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chip — for betting
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. key — in music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. tear — from crying
  21. key — the most important part
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. season — of the year
  24. tear — to rip

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