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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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468
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. present — a gift
  4. wind — moving air
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. season — of the year
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. file — a document
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. file — a line of people
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. season — in sport
  17. board — to get on
  18. present — there
  19. board — a committee
  20. file — a tool
  21. snap — to click
  22. present — the time now
  23. wind — moving air
  24. season — to add flavour

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