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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. scale — size or range
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wind — moving air
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. last — final
  16. scale — in music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. last — finally
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. last — to go on

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