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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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 — a price
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lean — to bend
  5. shower — rain
  6. spell — a short time
  7. shower — to wash
  8. board — a committee
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lean — thin
  11. charge — in control
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. board — to get on
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. spell — magic
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — letters
  18. firm — steady
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mine — for digging
  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