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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · mug · current · mine · face · charge · degree · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mug — to rob
  5. club — for golf
  6. face — part of the head
  7. charge — a price
  8. face — to point toward
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — a group
  11. mug — a face
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. current — electric
  17. charge — in control
  18. club — for dancing
  19. degree — temperature
  20. face — to confront
  21. current — of water
  22. degree — from a university
  23. current — happening now
  24. degree — an amount

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