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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — a list
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rest — a break
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. charge — electricity
  10. degree — from a university
  11. charge — a price
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. snap — to click
  15. degree — an amount
  16. charge — in control
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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