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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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. can — a tin
  4. court — of law
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — a path
  12. court — for sport
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. court — of a king
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. can — to be able to
  21. track — a song
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. can — a tin

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