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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. file — a document
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wind — moving air
  7. charge — in control
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wind — moving air
  13. squash — the sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — completely
  21. charge — electricity
  22. file — a tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fan — a supporter

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