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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. can — a tin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rash — hasty
  6. charge — electricity
  7. track — a path
  8. charge — a price
  9. track — a song
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. charge — in control
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cell — in biology
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. snap — to click
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. cell — a phone
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  24. wave — with your hand

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