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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cue — a hint
  3. file — a tool
  4. charge — in control
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mate — a partner
  12. season — of the year
  13. file — a document
  14. season — in sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. charge — a price
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mate — to breed

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