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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — for dancing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. club — a group
  12. scale — in music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. club — for golf
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. charge — in control
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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