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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. snap — to click
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. board — to get on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wake — a trail
  17. charge — in control
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. board — a committee
  22. charge — a price
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. squash — to crush

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