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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. perch — the fish
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. charge — a price
  6. wake — a trail
  7. content — the amount
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wind — moving air
  10. charge — in control
  11. content — happy
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ball — a dance
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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