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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rest — a break
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fine — all right
  6. wake — a trail
  7. charge — in control
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — a price
  13. club — for golf
  14. rest — what's left
  15. file — a document
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. club — for dancing
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fine — high quality
  23. club — a group
  24. file — a 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