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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pop — music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. row — a line
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. charge — in control
  13. row — to paddle
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — to sink
  21. charge — a price
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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