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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stand — to bear
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bound — certain
  9. fall — the season
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rock — a stone
  12. charge — a price
  13. game — wild animals
  14. charge — in control
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rock — music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wake — a trail
  24. game — a match

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