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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: fall · mark · net · charge · stick · wave · fine · chest

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — the season
  9. charge — in control
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. net — in sport
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. net — for catching
  20. charge — a price
  21. net — after costs
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chest — a box
  24. mark — a trace

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