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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. charge — a price
  4. rest — a break
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. face — part of the head
  7. charge — in control
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. swing — to play on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — to visit
  14. swing — in golf
  15. prune — to trim
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pop — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pop — soda
  23. swing — music
  24. leaves — lets stay

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