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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lean — thin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. spring — the season
  8. charge — electricity
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lean — to bend
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. spring — a coil
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. craft — a skill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. craft — boats
  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