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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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. mouse — for a computer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spell — magic
  6. stand — to bear
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. file — a tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. net — for catching
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spell — letters
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fine — all right
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. file — a document

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