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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. clip — a video
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. dip — to sink
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bulb — for light

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