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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. shower — to wash
  4. face — to point toward
  5. shower — rain
  6. cue — a signal
  7. net — after costs
  8. charge — a price
  9. ball — a dance
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cue — a hint
  12. face — to confront
  13. spell — a short time
  14. face — part of the head
  15. charge — in control
  16. ball — a great time
  17. charge — electricity
  18. net — in sport
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. net — for catching
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. cue — for pool

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