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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 116 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bore — to tire
  11. charge — in control
  12. content — the amount
  13. firm — a company
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bore — to drill
  17. charge — a price
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — a match
  23. content — happy
  24. saw — the tool

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