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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. clip — to cut
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bank — for money
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — goods
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stock — shares
  9. mug — to rob
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bank — for money
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. clip — a video
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mug — a face
  24. bank — of a river

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