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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. track — to keep track
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. track — a song
  9. can — a tin
  10. scale — size or range
  11. chair — a leader
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. charge — in control
  15. can — a tin
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. scale — in music
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fall — to drop
  21. track — a path
  22. can — to be able to
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wake — a trail

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