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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. object — a thing
  4. charge — a price
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — electricity
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. roll — a list
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. object — an aim
  16. charge — in control
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. object — to protest
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. roll — a cake

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