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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. season — of the year
  4. charge — a price
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cold — an illness
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cold — not warm
  13. season — in sport
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. ground — a position
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. leaves — of a tree

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