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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 116 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
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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: wake · saw · spring · hide · suit · charge · wound · ruler

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. spring — of water
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. charge — in control
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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