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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rock — music
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. charge — in control
  8. spring — the season
  9. capital — money
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. capital — a city
  13. spring — of water
  14. rock — a stone
  15. last — to go on
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. last — finally
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spring — a coil
  20. suit — in cards
  21. last — final
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. charge — a price

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