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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. charge — in control
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. board — to get on
  5. snap — to click
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. board — a committee
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wind — moving air
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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