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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. squash — to crush
  3. file — a document
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. file — a tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bore — to tire
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. squash — the sport
  17. snap — to click
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bore — to drill
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. charge — electricity

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