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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: wind · bay · ruler · mug · key · calf · charge · present

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mug — a cup
  5. key — in music
  6. charge — in control
  7. present — the time now
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. present — there
  10. mug — a face
  11. key — for a lock
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. charge — a price
  20. present — a gift
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wind — moving air
  24. calf — a young animal

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