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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with 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. present — there
  3. wind — moving air
  4. present — the time now
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. scale — in music
  11. file — a line of people
  12. charge — electricity
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. net — for catching
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. present — a gift
  17. charge — in control
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. file — a document
  20. wind — moving air
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — a price
  23. scale — size or range
  24. file — a tool

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