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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: content · wake · mug · charge · clip · suit · last · vault

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mug — a cup
  3. content — happy
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. suit — to fit
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. clip — for paper
  9. suit — in cards
  10. charge — in control
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mug — a face
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. clip — a video
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. content — the amount
  17. charge — a price
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mug — to rob
  20. last — final
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. clip — to cut

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