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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. face — to point toward
  3. charge — electricity
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. club — for dancing
  6. key — for a lock
  7. face — to confront
  8. stem — to come from
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. charge — a price
  13. file — a document
  14. land — a country
  15. key — in music
  16. file — a tool
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. key — the most important part
  19. club — for golf
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. file — a line of people
  23. club — a group
  24. face — part of the head

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