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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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. sharp — with an edge
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. net — after costs
  6. cell — a phone
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hand — in cards
  10. net — in sport
  11. hand — help
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bass — low music
  15. net — for catching
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mug — a cup
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mug — a face
  22. cell — in biology
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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