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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. field — for sport
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. field — a subject
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. field — farmland
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mine — for digging
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — to drill
  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