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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bank — for money
  4. season — in sport
  5. march — the month
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bank — for money
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bank — of a river
  13. march — the month
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. march — music

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