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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. present — the time now
  3. charge — in control
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. present — a gift
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. charge — a price
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spell — magic
  16. ball — a great time
  17. present — there
  18. stand — for spectators

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