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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ground — the earth
  3. spell — a short time
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. charge — a price
  10. spell — magic
  11. ground — a position
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rest — what's left
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. spell — letters
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rest — a break
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rest — what's left
  23. charge — in control
  24. ground — crushed

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