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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wake — a trail
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. charge — a price
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — a stone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mine — for digging
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ruler — for measuring

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