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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. charge — a price
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. land — to come down
  6. pass — a permit
  7. last — final
  8. land — ground
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. last — to go on
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bat — the animal
  16. land — a country
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. charge — in control
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. charge — electricity
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mine — for digging

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