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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. march — music
  6. charge — a price
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — in control
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bear — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mouse — the animal

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