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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a tool
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wake — a trail
  7. file — a document
  8. staff — employees
  9. wind — moving air
  10. staff — employees
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — shares
  13. swing — music
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stock — goods
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. staff — a stick
  22. swing — to play on
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wind — to turn a key

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