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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kid — to tease
  3. charge — a price
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. kid — child
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pop — soda
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — music
  22. pass — a permit
  23. charge — electricity
  24. nail — for a hammer

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