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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. charge — electricity
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. charge — in control
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. mark — a trace
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. charge — a price
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. board — to get on
  24. rest — what's left

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