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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. field — farmland
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cap — of ice
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rock — a stone
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. spell — letters
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rock — music
  17. spell — magic
  18. cap — a hat
  19. field — a subject
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cap — a lid
  22. field — for sport
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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