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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. charge — a price
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. squash — to crush
  6. staff — employees
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. charge — electricity
  9. swing — in golf
  10. firm — steady
  11. wind — moving air
  12. staff — a stick
  13. swing — music
  14. charge — in control
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pop — music
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — decided
  20. staff — employees
  21. pop — soda
  22. swing — to play on
  23. firm — a company
  24. wind — to turn a key

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