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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. club — for golf
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wind — moving air
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. club — for dancing
  16. spell — letters
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mug — a face
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. spell — magic
  21. club — a group
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stem — a stem cell

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