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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — in control
  10. shower — to wash
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. club — for golf
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. shower — rain
  19. cap — a lid
  20. club — a group
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. club — for dancing

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