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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. charge — in control
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — a hat
  8. charge — a price
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cap — of ice
  17. charge — electricity
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — for betting
  22. swing — music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lie — an untruth

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