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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bat — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pop — music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. charge — in control
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pop — soda
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pop — to visit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lean — thin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lean — to bend

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