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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. charge — in control
  5. fall — the season
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. charge — a price
  14. bark — to shout
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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