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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 124 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rush — hurry
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. charge — a price
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. season — of the year
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. charge — in control
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. charge — electricity
  23. season — in sport
  24. safe — a strongbox

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