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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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. row — a line
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cell — in biology
  7. band — a ring
  8. rest — a break
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. cell — a phone
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. charge — in control
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. charge — electricity
  19. band — a music group
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. charge — a price
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rest — what's left

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