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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. charge — in control
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lean — thin
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pass — a permit
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. deal — to handle
  14. charge — a price
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a dance
  24. shower — rain

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