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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 120 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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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: pitcher · trunk · saw · rush · charge · cap · spell · bay

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. charge — in control
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rush — hurry
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spell — magic
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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