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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stock — shares
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bass — low music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stock — goods
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bass — the fish
  17. branch — a division
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. branch — of a bank

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