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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. content — happy
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. content — the amount
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. file — a document
  10. lie — to recline
  11. charge — a price
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. charge — in control
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. file — a tool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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