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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. last — final
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. charge — a price
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. board — a committee
  11. pit — a hole
  12. root — the cause
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. root — of a plant
  16. board — to get on
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — in control
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. root — of a word
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hide — animal skin

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