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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. charge — in control
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. charge — a price
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — of water
  8. capital — a city
  9. object — an aim
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. can — a tin
  12. wake — a trail
  13. dip — to sink
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. spring — a coil
  17. object — a thing
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spring — the season
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — money
  22. object — to protest
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wake — before a funeral

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