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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. kid — child
  3. object — a thing
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. charge — a price
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chest — a box
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. drill — a practice
  15. charge — in control
  16. object — an aim
  17. charge — electricity
  18. drill — army training
  19. object — to protest
  20. kid — to tease
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bank — for money
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wake — a trail

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