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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. charge — a price
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. band — a music group
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cue — a signal
  24. charge — electricity

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