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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. perch — the fish
  11. sharp — clever
  12. charge — in control
  13. saw — the tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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