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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kid — to tease
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wake — a trail
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. charge — in control
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — to come from
  12. club — for golf
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. club — for dancing
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. charge — a price
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. kid — child
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. club — a group
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. suit — in cards

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