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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mate — a partner
  3. charge — in control
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. snap — to click
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. season — in sport
  13. bass — low music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mate — a friend
  16. charge — a price
  17. bass — the fish
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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