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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: wound · wind · charge · sharp · rash · bay · jam · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rash — a series
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wind — moving air
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rash — hasty
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. sharp — clever

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