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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. lean — to bend
  5. charge — a price
  6. tube — a container
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. tube — the underground
  15. track — a song
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — electricity
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. charge — in control
  24. leaves — lets stay

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