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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. spell — a short time
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spell — magic
  10. charge — in control
  11. spell — letters
  12. deal — to handle
  13. clip — a video
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wind — moving air
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. clip — to cut
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bowl — a dish

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