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

Word bank: kick · fork · present · swing · wind · roll · charge · mine

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. present — there
  4. roll — a cake
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wind — moving air
  11. charge — in control
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. roll — a list
  17. present — a gift
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. swing — in golf
  20. kick — in football
  21. present — the time now
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. charge — a price
  24. mine — for digging

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