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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. charge — electricity
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. charge — in control
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. row — a line
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mine — for digging
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. charge — a price

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