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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
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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: spell · mate · object · cold · fine · straw · charge · kid

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. object — to protest
  4. spell — magic
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mate — to breed
  7. object — a thing
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mate — a friend
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cold — an illness
  14. fine — all right
  15. spell — letters
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. charge — in control
  18. fine — high quality
  19. kid — child
  20. spell — a short time
  21. charge — electricity
  22. object — an aim
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cold — not warm

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