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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hand — help
  6. charge — in control
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hand — in cards
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — a division
  20. rush — hurry
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. racket — for tennis

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