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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mug — to rob
  7. charge — a price
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fall — the season
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wax — to grow
  23. charge — in control
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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