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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · bark · mark · wake · chair · charge · fall · mine

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mark — a grade
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mug — to rob
  9. chair — a leader
  10. mine — for digging
  11. charge — a price
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. charge — in control
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fall — the season
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mug — a face
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wake — before a funeral

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