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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. stem — to come from
  3. charge — in control
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. last — finally
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. spell — letters
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. hand — help
  23. last — final
  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