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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. race — a contest
  3. date — the fruit
  4. chest — of your body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. foot — a measure
  7. charge — in control
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. charge — a price
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. race — humankind
  16. fine — all right
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. race — the arms race
  23. chest — a box
  24. charge — electricity

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