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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ground — crushed
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. object — a thing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. object — an aim
  8. ground — a position
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. charge — a price
  13. object — to protest
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ground — the earth
  21. charge — in control
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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