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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. charge — electricity
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. roll — a cake
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. charge — a price
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bank — for money
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. snap — to click
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. charge — in control
  21. bank — for money
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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