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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. snap — to click
  7. charge — in control
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. squash — the sport
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. last — finally
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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