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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. spring — a coil
  3. shower — rain
  4. can — to be able to
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. charge — a price
  7. shower — to wash
  8. can — a tin
  9. staff — employees
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rock — music
  14. spring — of water
  15. charge — in control
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. can — a tin
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. spring — the season
  23. charge — electricity
  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