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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — of water
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — electric
  9. rest — a break
  10. clip — a video
  11. charge — a price
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wake — a trail
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rest — what's left
  20. row — a line
  21. cell — in biology
  22. current — happening now
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rest — what's left

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