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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. march — the month
  12. bat — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. object — a thing
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. march — music
  18. object — to protest
  19. saw — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. staff — a stick
  23. object — an aim
  24. bear — the animal

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