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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. charge — electricity
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spell — a short time
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. row — a line
  16. lie — to recline
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spell — letters
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. spell — magic
  21. vault — a safe
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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