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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. last — finally
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. rash — a series
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. last — final
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. last — to go on
  18. charge — a price
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. staff — a stick
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitcher — a jug

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