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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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. wind — moving air
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. charge — a price
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. scale — in music
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. tube — the underground
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — a container
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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