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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. charge — a price
  3. stock — goods
  4. march — the month
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — electricity
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mine — for digging
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. roll — a list
  15. march — the month
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. season — in sport
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. march — music
  20. stock — shares
  21. lean — to bend
  22. charge — in control
  23. roll — a cake
  24. leaves — to go away

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