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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. track — a path
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. track — to keep track
  7. charge — a price
  8. chip — to eat
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. track — a song
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wake — a trail
  15. content — the amount
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lie — to recline
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. chip — for betting
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. charge — in control
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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