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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ground — the earth
  3. last — finally
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to click
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. perch — the fish
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. last — to go on
  12. ground — crushed
  13. last — final
  14. charge — electricity
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. charge — a price
  17. chair — a leader
  18. charge — in control
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ground — a position
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. object — a thing

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