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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. band — a music group
  3. wind — moving air
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — in control
  6. wind — moving air
  7. band — a ring
  8. lean — to bend
  9. snap — to click
  10. lean — thin
  11. tube — a container
  12. root — the cause
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. root — of a plant
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. tube — the underground
  23. root — of a word
  24. tube — in a tire

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