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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bass — low music
  4. spell — letters
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. land — ground
  8. bass — the fish
  9. object — a thing
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. spell — magic
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. object — an aim
  17. stand — to bear
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. object — to protest
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wind — moving air

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