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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. shower — to wash
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mark — a trace
  18. shower — rain
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. charge — in control
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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