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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cue — a signal
  8. charge — in control
  9. hand — in cards
  10. kick — in football
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cue — for pool
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. charge — a price
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cue — a hint
  21. present — a gift
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wind — moving air

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