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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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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: row · wound · rush · spell · tear · cap · charge · fine

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. tear — to rip
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. row — a line
  9. spell — letters
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — all right
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spell — a short time
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — a hat
  18. spell — magic
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — high quality
  21. charge — in control
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. charge — a price

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