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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. file — a tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. file — a document
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mate — to breed
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pitch — completely
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. coach — a trainer

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