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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. charge — a price
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. land — ground
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bat — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. charge — electricity
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. charge — in control

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