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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. charge — in control
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spell — magic
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rash — hasty
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. charge — a price
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. object — an aim
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rash — a series
  24. wake — a trail

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