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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. charge — in control
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. suit — clothes
  5. season — in sport
  6. wake — a trail
  7. drill — a practice
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. hand — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. drill — army training
  12. charge — a price
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wound — an injury
  16. season — of the year
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. drill — the tool
  20. hand — help
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wound — an injury

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