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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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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: fan · cell · wake · deal · rest · band · last · charge

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — a price
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. deal — to handle
  7. band — a ring
  8. rest — a break
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. charge — in control
  14. cell — a phone
  15. band — a music group
  16. last — finally
  17. charge — electricity
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. last — final
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. last — to go on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. deal — a big deal

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