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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. file — a tool
  3. charge — in control
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. charge — electricity
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. season — in sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — help
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hand — in cards
  18. file — a document
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. perch — the fish
  21. charge — a price
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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