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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. charge — a price
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. object — an aim
  6. squash — to crush
  7. object — a thing
  8. wake — a trail
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. charge — in control
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. clip — to cut
  20. cue — a hint
  21. object — to protest
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — for paper

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