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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mug — to rob
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wake — a trail
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wind — moving air
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mug — a face
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wind — moving air

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