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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. charge — a price
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. last — final
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. charge — electricity
  13. dip — to sink
  14. charge — in control
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mark — a grade
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. last — finally
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. last — to go on
  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