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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. board — a committee
  3. shower — rain
  4. charge — in control
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fall — the season
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. sharp — clever
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. charge — electricity
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kick — in football
  21. fall — to drop
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — with a leg

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