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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. spell — magic
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. board — a committee
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spell — letters
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spell — a short time
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bass — low music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wind — moving air
  23. board — to get on
  24. stand — on your feet

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