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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 124 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 can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. march — music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fine — high quality
  12. march — the month
  13. kick — in football
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. march — the month
  18. bay — a horse colour

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