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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fall — the season
  3. charge — in control
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. can — a tin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. can — a tin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. can — to be able to

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