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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. game — a match
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. charge — electricity
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wind — moving air
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. content — the amount
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — to keep track
  19. charge — in control
  20. press — to push
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. charge — a price

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