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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. march — music
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. march — the month
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. current — electric
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. current — happening now
  15. charge — a price
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mark — a grade
  18. march — the month
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wind — moving air
  21. current — of water
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. charge — in control

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