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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: pass · straw · fan · spell · cap · vault · wound · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. charge — a price
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a hat
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. charge — in control
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. cap — of ice
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. spell — letters
  24. cap — a lid

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