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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.

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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rock — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rest — what's left
  11. race — a contest
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wind — moving air
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rest — a break
  22. scale — in music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. race — humankind

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