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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: mouse · charge · root · club · mate · last · wake · tear

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — finally
  3. club — a group
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. club — for golf
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tear — to rip
  12. last — to go on
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. wake — a trail
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — a price
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mate — a partner
  21. charge — electricity
  22. club — for dancing
  23. charge — in control
  24. mate — a friend

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