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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. board — a committee
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hand — in cards
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — help

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