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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: deal · wake · charge · cold · lean · ball · straw · stand

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. charge — in control
  5. lean — thin
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — not warm
  8. charge — a price
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cold — an illness
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. charge — electricity
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lean — to bend
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stand — to bear

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