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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
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: fan · season · kid · charge · cabinet · fine · spell · game

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. season — of the year
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fine — all right
  6. charge — a price
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spell — magic
  9. charge — in control
  10. kid — to tease
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kid — child
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — a match
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. season — in sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. game — wild animals

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