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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spring — the season
  3. capital — a city
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rush — hurry
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. spring — a coil
  11. suit — to fit
  12. charge — electricity
  13. spring — of water
  14. wake — a trail
  15. capital — money
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. suit — in cards
  18. charge — a price

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