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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 116 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: wind · row · present · fall · charge · spell · staff · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. spell — a short time
  3. object — to protest
  4. fall — to drop
  5. charge — electricity
  6. row — to paddle
  7. spell — magic
  8. staff — employees
  9. fall — the season
  10. present — there
  11. spell — letters
  12. object — an aim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — a line
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. staff — employees
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. staff — a stick

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