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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bound — tied together
  5. current — electric
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — happening now
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bound — certain
  11. current — of water
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — a break
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. charge — in control
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. charge — a price
  24. bound — obliged

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