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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — a price
  4. wake — a trail
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — in control
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. nail — on a finger

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