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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. snap — to click
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cell — a phone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spell — a short time
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cell — in biology
  19. spell — letters
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. spell — magic
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. charge — in control
  24. cabinet — ministers

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