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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. spring — the season
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. charge — a price
  13. rock — music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. roll — a list
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. roll — a cake
  24. spring — of water

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