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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bound — certain
  4. chest — of your body
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. scale — size or range
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chest — a box
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chest — of your body
  14. charge — in control
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bound — obliged
  21. charge — a price
  22. bass — low music
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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