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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. dip — to sink
  4. charge — in control
  5. band — a ring
  6. wake — a trail
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. fine — high quality
  10. object — an aim
  11. snap — to click
  12. charge — a price
  13. rock — music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. band — a music group
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rock — a stone

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