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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. last — final
  5. charge — electricity
  6. scale — size or range
  7. last — finally
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wake — a trail
  13. spring — a coil
  14. scale — in music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spring — the season
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. charge — a price
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spring — of water
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. last — to go on
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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