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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.

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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: bound · pitcher · wind · charge · fan · pass · fall · fine

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fine — all right
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. charge — in control
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wind — moving air
  16. charge — a price
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bound — certain

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