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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rush — hurry
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. file — a document
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. charge — electricity
  19. hand — help
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. file — a tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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