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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — shares
  4. band — a ring
  5. charge — a price
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. row — a line
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. charge — in control
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mate — to breed
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. band — a music group

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