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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. spring — of water
  3. pop — to visit
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. charge — electricity
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pop — soda
  9. fall — to drop
  10. suit — clothes
  11. spring — a coil
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. spring — the season
  14. suit — in cards
  15. charge — a price
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. squash — the sport
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pop — music
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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