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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bound — certain
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. charge — electricity
  10. scale — in music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mine — for digging
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cue — a hint
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bound — tied together

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