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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. last — finally
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wind — moving air
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. charge — in control
  9. wind — moving air
  10. staff — employees
  11. charge — electricity
  12. snap — to click
  13. board — a committee
  14. last — final
  15. board — to get on
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. last — to go on
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. charge — a price
  20. dip — to sink
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. staff — employees

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