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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: mate · wound · can · charge · fan · bowl · rule · foot

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mate — a partner
  3. can — a tin
  4. charge — in control
  5. rule — government
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rule — a law
  12. charge — a price
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. can — a tin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mate — a friend
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bowl — a dish

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