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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pop — soda
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bound — tied together
  21. season — in sport
  22. bound — certain
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fan — a supporter

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