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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bound — obliged
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cap — a hat
  14. shower — rain
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. charge — a price
  19. bound — certain
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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