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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. club — a group
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. club — for golf
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — in control
  13. object — an aim
  14. charge — a price
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. club — for dancing
  18. perch — the fish
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lean — to rest against

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