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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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. drill — army training
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. land — to come down
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wind — moving air
  8. capital — money
  9. charge — electricity
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. drill — a practice
  12. charge — in control
  13. capital — a city
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bore — to drill
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. bore — to tire
  23. charge — a price
  24. snap — to click

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