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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bulb — for light
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. saw — the tool
  6. net — for catching
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. charge — in control
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. rock — music
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bulb — for light
  20. charge — a price
  21. vault — a safe
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rock — a stone

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