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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. can — a tin
  3. ground — the earth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cap — of ice
  10. dip — to sink
  11. charge — electricity
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. can — to be able to
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. charge — a price
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. mate — a friend
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. charge — in control
  24. wound — an injury

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