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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: ball · bowl · mate · chest · file · cabinet · charge · cold

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. file — a line of people
  6. charge — a price
  7. cold — not warm
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ball — a dance
  11. file — a document
  12. ball — a great time
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. file — a tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chest — a box
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mate — a friend

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