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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. charge — a price
  2. board — a committee
  3. charge — in control
  4. wind — moving air
  5. board — to get on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rock — a stone
  13. swing — to play on
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rock — music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tear — from crying
  18. swing — music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wind — moving air

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