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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hand — help
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. season — of the year
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cue — a hint
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. charge — a price
  21. hand — in cards
  22. charge — in control
  23. fall — to drop
  24. season — in sport

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