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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.

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: season · cap · rock · rash · drill · saw · charge · wind

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. charge — a price
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rash — a series
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rock — a stone
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cap — a hat
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rock — music
  17. season — in sport
  18. charge — in control
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. charge — electricity
  21. season — of the year
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. drill — army training
  24. rash — hasty

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