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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. charge — in control
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. tube — the underground
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — an illness
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. tube — a container
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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