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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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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: board · toast · fall · charge · pound · bear · kid · fan

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fall — the season
  6. charge — electricity
  7. kid — child
  8. charge — in control
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pound — a weight
  12. kid — to tease
  13. charge — a price
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. board — a committee
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bear — the animal
  22. board — to get on
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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