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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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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wind — moving air
  9. net — after costs
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. net — for catching
  13. rush — hurry
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pass — a permit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. net — in sport

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