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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. field — a subject
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wind — moving air
  8. snap — to click
  9. dip — to sink
  10. field — farmland
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. field — for sport
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. craft — boats
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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