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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. charge — in control
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fine — all right
  15. charge — a price
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rule — government
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rule — a law

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