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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 116 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: object · charge · ball · cabinet · shower · wind · lie · wake

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. charge — electricity
  3. object — a thing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wake — a trail
  9. object — to protest
  10. lie — to recline
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. shower — rain
  14. charge — in control
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ball — a dance
  21. charge — a price
  22. object — an aim
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. shower — to wash

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