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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. charge — a price
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. clip — a video
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — the season
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. charge — in control
  23. fall — to drop
  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