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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. land — ground
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rush — hurry
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. land — to come down
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitch — completely
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. land — a country
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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