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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lean — thin
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. march — music
  14. charge — a price
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wake — a trail
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. march — the month
  22. row — a line
  23. march — the month
  24. row — to paddle

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