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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. club — a group
  4. charge — a price
  5. object — to protest
  6. saw — the tool
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. object — an aim
  18. wake — a trail
  19. object — a thing
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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