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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fall — the season
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — in control
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wake — a trail
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spell — letters
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. charge — a price
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spell — magic
  24. wake — before a funeral

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