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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lean — to bend
  3. drill — army training
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. spell — magic
  6. drill — a practice
  7. charge — a price
  8. spell — letters
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. charge — in control
  15. bear — the animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. lean — thin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. drill — the tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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