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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. object — an aim
  3. fall — the season
  4. pop — soda
  5. charge — electricity
  6. last — to go on
  7. object — a thing
  8. last — finally
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pop — to visit
  11. snap — to click
  12. club — for dancing
  13. charge — in control
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — a price
  16. pop — music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. club — a group
  20. object — to protest
  21. club — for golf
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fall — to drop

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