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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. face — to confront
  3. pop — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. shower — rain
  6. charge — a price
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. suit — in cards
  11. charge — in control
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. suit — to fit
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wound — an injury

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