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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 120 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: wound · pit · march · fan · wind · charge · dip · key

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pit — a hole
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — a price
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. charge — in control
  15. pit — in a race
  16. march — music
  17. key — in music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. dip — to dunk

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