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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. suit — in cards
  3. row — to paddle
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mug — a cup
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a line
  13. mug — a face
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bulb — for light
  17. charge — in control
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bulb — for light
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bulb — of a plant

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