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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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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. charge — electricity
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. charge — in control
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. drill — army training
  20. spell — magic
  21. charge — a price
  22. spell — letters
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bowl — a football final

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