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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. degree — an amount
  5. drill — army training
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. charge — in control
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. drill — the tool
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chair — a leader
  18. lean — to bend
  19. charge — a price
  20. drill — a practice
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pop — soda
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pop — music

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