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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — music
  6. content — happy
  7. charge — in control
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. last — finally
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. content — the amount
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. last — to go on
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. charge — a price
  24. fan — to cool the air

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