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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: game · wake · fall · charge · toast · bear · deal · fine

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bear — the animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wake — a trail
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fall — to drop
  17. toast — bread
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. charge — in control
  21. fine — all right
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. game — a match

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