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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. charge — a price
  4. wake — a trail
  5. land — ground
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. face — part of the head
  10. land — to come down
  11. charge — in control
  12. mug — to rob
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — to confront
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. face — to point toward
  19. land — a country
  20. band — a ring
  21. mug — a face
  22. staff — a stick
  23. band — a music group
  24. wake — before a funeral

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