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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pop — music
  4. charge — a price
  5. object — to protest
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. object — an aim
  8. last — finally
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pop — to visit
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. charge — in control
  13. object — a thing
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. can — a tin
  16. pop — soda
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. last — final
  20. game — wild animals
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — a match
  23. can — to be able to
  24. charge — electricity

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