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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · last · charge · mark · object · fan · rest · pit

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. object — to protest
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. object — a thing
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. charge — in control
  13. last — finally
  14. pit — a hole
  15. last — final
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — to go on
  18. object — an aim
  19. mark — a trace
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rest — a break
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rest — what's left

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