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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. track — a path
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. last — to go on
  8. present — the time now
  9. charge — a price
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. present — a gift
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. swing — music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. present — there
  17. charge — in control
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. last — finally
  21. track — to keep track
  22. last — final
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. charge — electricity

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