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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. present — the time now
  6. bulb — for light
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lean — thin
  9. wake — a trail
  10. charge — in control
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stock — shares
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stock — goods
  19. present — a gift
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. present — there
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bulb — of a plant

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