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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. season — of the year
  4. charge — in control
  5. chest — a box
  6. degree — from a university
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. charge — a price
  11. board — to get on
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rash — a series
  17. board — a committee
  18. charge — electricity
  19. degree — temperature
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. season — in sport
  23. degree — an amount
  24. leaves — to go away

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