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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. charge — in control
  5. land — a country
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. charge — a price
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. charge — electricity
  12. land — ground
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. spring — a coil
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. land — to come down
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. vault — a safe
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. face — to confront
  23. spring — of water
  24. dip — to sink

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