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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cold — an illness
  3. charge — in control
  4. firm — decided
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. firm — a company
  8. staff — employees
  9. spell — magic
  10. field — a subject
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — a price
  14. staff — a stick
  15. field — farmland
  16. spell — a short time
  17. staff — employees
  18. field — for sport
  19. firm — steady
  20. spell — letters
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cold — not warm
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cue — a hint

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