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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wake — a trail
  7. charge — in control
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fall — to drop
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mug — a face
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mug — a cup
  21. charge — electricity
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — a price
  24. temple — side of the head

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