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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mate — a friend
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. charge — a price
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mate — a partner
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cap — a hat
  22. charge — in control
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pass — to spend time

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