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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: wake · dip · jam · lie · last · net · ruler · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. last — final
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lie — to recline
  7. last — to go on
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. net — in sport
  10. last — finally
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wake — a trail
  13. charge — in control
  14. net — for catching
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. net — after costs
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — electricity
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — a sauce

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