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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.

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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: bay · cold · pass · mark · charge · band · cap · cell

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cap — of ice
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mark — a grade
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. charge — in control
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pass — a permit
  16. band — a music group
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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