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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — to be able to
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitch — completely
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. can — a tin
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. charge — in control
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chair — a leader
  22. sharp — clever
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — with an edge

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