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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wind — moving air
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — a lid
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wind — moving air
  21. can — to be able to
  22. charge — a price
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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