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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. present — there
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. present — the time now
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. dip — to sink
  9. present — a gift
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bass — low music
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. race — humankind
  16. charge — a price
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wake — a trail
  21. race — a contest
  22. bass — the fish
  23. race — the arms race
  24. lie — an untruth

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