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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. object — an aim
  4. board — a committee
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wind — moving air
  7. board — to get on
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wake — a trail
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. can — a tin
  14. wind — moving air
  15. object — to protest
  16. can — a tin
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. object — a thing
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. kid — child
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. kid — to tease

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