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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lean — thin
  3. craft — boats
  4. staff — a stick
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wind — moving air
  7. degree — from a university
  8. track — a path
  9. lean — to bend
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. track — a song
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — to keep track
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. staff — employees
  24. craft — a handicraft

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