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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 124 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. charge — in control
  8. spell — a short time
  9. suit — in cards
  10. spell — magic
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lean — thin
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — a division
  16. cold — not warm
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. spell — letters
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. charge — a price
  24. branch — of a bank

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