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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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. pound — to hit hard
  4. staff — employees
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rash — a series
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. staff — a stick
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rash — hasty
  21. staff — employees
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kick — in football
  24. wind — moving air

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