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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. roll — a list
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. charge — in control
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rest — a break
  17. staff — employees
  18. fall — the season
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. charge — a price
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. staff — a stick
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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