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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mug — to rob
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mug — a cup
  12. charge — a price
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — a face
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ruler — for measuring

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