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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bound — tied together
  6. firm — decided
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. firm — a company
  15. bound — obliged
  16. firm — steady
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bound — certain
  21. object — to protest
  22. wind — moving air
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rash — on the skin

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