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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. charge — in control
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mine — for digging
  12. spring — the season
  13. charge — a price
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. charge — electricity
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. perch — the fish
  20. spring — a coil
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spring — of water
  24. ruler — for measuring

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