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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bound — obliged
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. can — a tin
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. roll — a list
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bound — tied together
  16. game — a match
  17. bound — certain
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. charge — electricity
  20. can — to be able to
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lean — thin
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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