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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. rush — hurry
  3. ground — crushed
  4. lean — thin
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — to push
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ground — a position
  23. lean — to bend
  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