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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spell — a short time
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. object — to protest
  5. charge — in control
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — magic
  9. object — an aim
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. object — a thing
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. sharp — clever
  15. spell — letters
  16. fall — the season
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fall — to drop
  24. leaves — to go away

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