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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — in control
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ground — crushed
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. can — a tin
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wind — moving air
  24. spell — magic

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