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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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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: tear · rock · wind · board · charge · fine · mark · object

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. board — a committee
  3. charge — a price
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. object — an aim
  6. rock — music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. object — to protest
  14. fine — all right
  15. mark — a trace
  16. tear — from crying
  17. board — to get on
  18. object — a thing
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. rock — a stone
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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