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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bat — the animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. capital — a city
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — in control
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. charge — a price
  15. wake — a trail
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lean — to bend
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. charge — electricity
  24. capital — money

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