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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wind — moving air
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rash — hasty
  9. charge — a price
  10. staff — employees
  11. wind — moving air
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rash — a series
  14. charge — in control
  15. mug — a cup
  16. squash — the sport
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mug — a face
  19. board — a committee
  20. staff — a stick
  21. squash — to crush
  22. staff — employees
  23. plane — a tool
  24. board — to get on

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