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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. charge — in control
  17. rash — a series
  18. bass — low music
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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