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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. board — a committee
  3. season — of the year
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. snap — to click
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. present — there
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mate — a friend
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mate — to breed
  13. season — in sport
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. present — the time now
  17. mate — a partner
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. present — a gift
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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