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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. season — of the year
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. charge — a price
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fine — high quality
  10. season — in sport
  11. ball — a great time
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stock — goods
  14. fine — all right
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stock — shares
  17. ball — a dance
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. shower — to wash
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. shower — rain
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. charge — in control

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