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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wind — moving air
  6. file — a document
  7. staff — employees
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mate — a partner
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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