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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. season — of the year
  3. suit — clothes
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bound — certain
  7. fall — the season
  8. suit — to fit
  9. season — in sport
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wake — a trail
  12. branch — a division
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — tied together
  17. charge — in control
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fall — to drop
  21. suit — in cards
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. charge — a price
  24. season — to add flavour

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