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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cue — a signal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. charge — in control
  6. rash — hasty
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cue — a hint
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rash — a series
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. charge — a price
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. swing — music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. nail — for a hammer

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