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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: charge · pitch · snap · safe · suit · row · drill · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. drill — army training
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — a line
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — to paddle
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. suit — clothes
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. charge — a price
  18. wind — moving air
  19. suit — to fit
  20. charge — electricity
  21. suit — in cards
  22. charge — in control
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wind — moving air

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