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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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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: rest · bowl · wake · lie · cold · safe · current · charge

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — to recline
  10. current — of water
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cold — an illness
  13. rest — a break
  14. cold — not warm
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wake — a trail
  18. current — happening now
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. charge — in control
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. current — electric
  24. charge — a price

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