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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 124 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bank — of a river
  3. current — happening now
  4. band — a music group
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cap — of ice
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. band — a ring
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bank — for money
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bear — the animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. current — of water
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cap — a lid
  23. suit — clothes
  24. current — electric

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