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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wake — a trail
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — a price
  8. band — a ring
  9. club — for golf
  10. lean — thin
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. charge — electricity
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rest — a break
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rest — what's left
  20. band — a music group
  21. charge — in control
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. club — a group
  24. rest — what's left

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