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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · content · present · cell · fine · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. fine — high quality
  3. content — the amount
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fine — all right
  16. present — the time now
  17. cue — a hint
  18. content — happy

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