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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. drill — army training
  6. charge — a price
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wind — moving air
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — in control
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. drill — a practice
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. drill — the tool

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