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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. net — in sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. squash — the sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. board — a committee
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wind — moving air
  12. squash — to crush
  13. content — the amount
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. board — to get on
  20. content — happy
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pass — a permit
  23. net — after costs
  24. wax — in the ear

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