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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. charge — a price
  5. stand — to bear
  6. shower — rain
  7. ball — a great time
  8. last — final
  9. drill — army training
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. last — finally
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. last — to go on
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. charge — in control
  24. drill — the tool

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