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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bear — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spell — magic
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. charge — in control
  7. spell — letters
  8. can — a tin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. tube — the underground
  12. row — to paddle
  13. can — to be able to
  14. charge — a price
  15. rash — a series
  16. tube — a container
  17. spell — a short time
  18. row — a line
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. can — a tin

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