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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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mug — a face
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. current — electric
  11. clip — a video
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — of water
  15. clip — to cut
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. current — happening now
  24. stand — to bear

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