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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. swing — in golf
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. swing — to play on
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. season — in sport
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wind — moving air
  17. swing — music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. season — of the year
  24. staff — a stick

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