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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rock — music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wake — a trail
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ball — a great time
  15. roll — a list
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ball — a dance
  22. charge — a price
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wake — before a funeral

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