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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 116 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. charge — in control
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lean — to bend
  6. tear — from crying
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. tear — from crying
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. charge — electricity
  13. tear — to rip
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lean — thin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. charge — a price

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