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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. tear — from crying
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. snap — to click
  8. season — in sport
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. charge — a price
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. tear — to rip
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. tear — from crying
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. charge — in control
  24. kick — in football

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