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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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. cap — of ice
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. hand — help
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bank — for money
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bank — of a river
  16. hand — in cards
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bank — for money
  20. press — a publisher
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. press — to push
  24. club — for golf

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