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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. court — for sport
  3. season — in sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — a hat
  9. charge — a price
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. season — of the year
  12. lean — to bend
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. court — of a king
  15. snap — to click
  16. fall — the season
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. fall — to drop
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. court — of law
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — thin

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