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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: dip · press · charge · deal · wake · wave · tube · wound

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. charge — a price
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — electricity
  7. press — a publisher
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. dip — to sink
  12. charge — in control
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. press — to push
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. press — newspapers
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. tube — a container
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wake — a trail

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