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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. press — newspapers
  3. charge — electricity
  4. branch — a division
  5. press — a publisher
  6. charge — a price
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mine — for digging
  10. suit — in cards
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. charge — in control
  19. suit — to fit
  20. deal — to handle
  21. press — to push
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pit — a hole

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