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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fall — the season
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. race — a contest
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fall — to drop
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. drill — army training
  17. stand — to bear
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — to drop
  23. race — humankind
  24. charge — in control

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