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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cell — in biology
  6. charge — a price
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — in music
  9. cell — a phone
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. charge — in control
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — the most important part
  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