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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wind — moving air
  6. field — farmland
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mug — a cup
  10. field — for sport
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mug — a face
  17. field — a subject
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bore — to drill

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