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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. charge — in control
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. charge — a price
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. current — happening now
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rock — a stone
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rock — music
  18. mate — a friend
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — electricity
  21. current — of water
  22. foot — a measure
  23. row — a line
  24. lash — to lash out

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