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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spell — magic
  3. shower — rain
  4. hand — in cards
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cap — of ice
  7. face — to confront
  8. cap — a lid
  9. can — a tin
  10. face — part of the head
  11. hand — help
  12. spell — letters
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rock — music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rock — a stone
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. spell — a short time
  20. charge — a price
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hand — part of the body

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