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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fall — to drop
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mark — a trace
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. charge — a price
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fall — the season
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rock — music
  22. mark — a grade
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. charge — in control

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