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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. can — a tin
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. staff — employees
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. degree — an amount
  8. object — a thing
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. staff — a stick
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. staff — employees
  16. degree — temperature
  17. object — to protest
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — to be able to
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. can — a tin
  24. object — an aim

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