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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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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: mug · track · wake · charge · hand · fine · mine · snap

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. track — a song
  3. snap — to click
  4. fine — high quality
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wake — a trail
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mug — a face
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. mine — for digging
  14. charge — a price
  15. fine — all right
  16. hand — help
  17. mug — a cup
  18. track — a path
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hand — in cards

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