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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stock — shares
  3. ground — a position
  4. season — of the year
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stock — goods
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. charge — electricity
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. season — in sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. charge — in control
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. content — happy
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lie — to recline

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