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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. last — final
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wake — a trail
  7. last — finally
  8. scale — in music
  9. band — a ring
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. scale — size or range
  14. chair — a leader
  15. charge — a price
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. band — a music group
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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