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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. charge — in control
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pop — soda
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bank — for money
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wake — a trail
  10. charge — a price
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pop — music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bank — for money
  19. rock — music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pop — to visit

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