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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 120 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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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: fall · wake · rest · hide · bat · charge · rash · rock

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bat — the animal
  5. charge — in control
  6. rash — a series
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fall — the season
  9. rock — music
  10. rest — a break
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — a price
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — what's left

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