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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — a price
  4. bear — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. field — a subject
  14. lean — thin
  15. field — farmland
  16. bear — the animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. perch — the fish
  19. field — for sport
  20. mate — a friend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mate — to breed
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. charge — in control

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