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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · fan · court · drill · snap · mouse · trunk · pass

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. charge — a price
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. drill — the tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. court — of law
  22. charge — in control
  23. drill — army training
  24. court — of a king

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