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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rush — hurry
  4. charge — electricity
  5. file — a line of people
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. charge — a price
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. charge — in control
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. file — a document
  20. stand — to bear
  21. date — the fruit
  22. file — a tool
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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