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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — an aim
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. object — to protest
  7. land — to come down
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. object — a thing
  10. wind — moving air
  11. land — a country
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — obliged
  17. land — ground
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wind — moving air
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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