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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. branch — a division
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. season — of the year
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wind — moving air
  7. charge — a price
  8. wind — moving air
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. charge — electricity
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. charge — in control
  20. craft — a skill
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pass — a permit
  23. craft — boats
  24. pass — to spend time

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