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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. tube — a container
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rash — a series
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. can — a tin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — low music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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