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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lean — thin
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lean — to bend
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. spell — a short time
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. net — after costs
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. net — in sport
  21. spell — letters
  22. mine — for digging
  23. charge — in control
  24. net — for catching

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