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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cell — in biology
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fall — the season
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chip — for betting
  19. deal — to handle
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wax — to grow

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