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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with 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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. mate — a friend
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. charge — a price
  19. scale — in music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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