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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: bat · mark · fall · bass · wake · charge · bear · roll

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fall — to drop
  5. charge — in control
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bear — the animal
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fall — the season
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. mark — a grade
  18. charge — a price
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bass — the fish
  22. roll — a list
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bear — to put up with

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