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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rest — a break
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. charge — a price
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cell — in biology

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