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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. charge — a price
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tube — a container
  6. wind — moving air
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fall — the season
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. present — there
  12. fall — to drop
  13. present — a gift
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bear — the animal
  19. charge — in control
  20. present — the time now
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. tube — in a tire

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