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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mark — a trace
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. scale — in music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cold — an illness
  12. scale — size or range
  13. net — after costs
  14. charge — in control
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — not warm
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. net — for catching
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mark — a grade
  24. net — in sport

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