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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. spell — letters
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. suit — to fit
  7. shower — rain
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. spell — magic
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chest — of your body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chest — a box
  16. squash — the sport
  17. spell — a short time
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chest — of your body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. suit — clothes
  24. shower — to wash

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