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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 116 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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. shower — rain
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. charge — in control
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. charge — electricity
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. charge — a price
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mug — a face
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. current — of water
  18. wake — a trail
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fine — high quality
  21. snap — to click
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. fine — all right

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