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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · cap · bay · season · mouse · bowl · charge · dip

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. season — of the year
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cap — of ice
  19. charge — in control
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cap — a lid
  23. season — in sport
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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