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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: fall · temple · charge · wound · board · snap · content · pound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wound — an injury
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — in control
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pound — a weight
  15. content — the amount
  16. snap — to click
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fall — the season
  19. board — to get on
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. board — a committee
  23. fall — to drop
  24. charge — a price

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