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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lean — thin
  4. wind — moving air
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rest — what's left
  7. court — of law
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rest — a break
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mate — a friend
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. court — of a king
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. court — for sport

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