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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rash — hasty
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. can — a tin
  14. fine — high quality
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fine — all right
  17. kid — to tease
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. kid — child
  21. can — a tin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rash — a series

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