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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wind — moving air
  3. suit — to fit
  4. charge — a price
  5. present — the time now
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. present — a gift
  9. court — for sport
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. charge — electricity
  12. suit — in cards
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. charge — in control
  17. saw — the tool
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. court — of law
  20. present — there
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. court — of a king
  24. branch — a division

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