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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. branch — a division
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wind — moving air
  19. land — a country
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wound — an injury

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