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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 124 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wind — moving air
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wind — moving air
  5. drill — the tool
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bank — of a river
  8. face — to point toward
  9. charge — electricity
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — army training
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. charge — in control
  19. face — to confront
  20. pitch — completely
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. racket — for tennis

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