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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chest — a box
  7. object — a thing
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chest — of your body
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. wake — a trail
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. chair — a professorship

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