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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. charge — in control
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. plane — a tool
  5. chest — a box
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cap — of ice
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wind — moving air
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. band — a music group
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cap — a lid
  23. band — a ring
  24. cap — a hat

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