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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: wind · charge · wake · mate · kick · board · dip · net

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. net — after costs
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wake — a trail
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mate — a partner
  8. board — to get on
  9. kick — in football
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. charge — in control
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. charge — a price
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. board — a committee
  24. charge — electricity

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