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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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 — electricity
  2. suit — to fit
  3. clip — for paper
  4. suit — in cards
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. suit — clothes
  7. mate — a partner
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — a price
  10. face — to confront
  11. mate — to breed
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. clip — a video
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. charge — in control
  16. firm — a company
  17. clip — to cut
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mate — a friend
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  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