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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ball — a dance
  17. board — to get on
  18. charge — electricity
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wake — a trail

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