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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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. stem — a stem cell
  4. craft — boats
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mate — a partner
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stem — to come from
  10. club — for dancing
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. charge — in control
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. saw — the tool
  15. club — a group
  16. charge — a price
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mate — to breed
  21. club — for golf
  22. mate — a friend
  23. saw — the tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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