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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.

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: charge · mug · wind · pitcher · wake · board · hide · arm

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wake — a trail
  8. board — a committee
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wind — moving air
  19. charge — in control
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. charge — a price

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