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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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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hand — help
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hand — in cards
  6. spell — magic
  7. mug — a face
  8. spell — letters
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mug — to rob
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. charge — in control
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rush — hurry

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