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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wake — a trail
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. charge — a price
  7. cue — a signal
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. charge — in control
  12. firm — steady
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cue — a hint
  16. hand — in cards
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. hand — help
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. band — a ring
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cue — for pool
  24. saw — the tool

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