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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. snap — to click
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. charge — electricity
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. track — a path
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. charge — in control
  12. track — a song
  13. game — wild animals
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. charge — a price
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. game — a match
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. dip — to sink

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