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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. key — for a lock
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bound — tied together
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. land — to come down
  10. bore — to drill
  11. charge — a price
  12. bound — obliged
  13. key — in music
  14. land — a country
  15. bore — to tire
  16. spell — letters
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spell — magic
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bound — certain
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. land — ground
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spell — a short time

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