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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mate — to breed
  3. firm — a company
  4. craft — a skill
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wind — moving air
  9. scale — in music
  10. craft — boats
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. scale — size or range
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wind — moving air
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided

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