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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 124 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. face — to confront
  4. object — a thing
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. charge — in control
  11. object — to protest
  12. wake — a trail
  13. charge — a price
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. face — to point toward
  17. object — an aim
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. current — of water
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rush — hurry
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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