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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. charge — in control
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. charge — a price
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. suit — in cards
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. suit — to fit
  19. face — to confront
  20. pass — a permit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fall — the season
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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