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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wind — moving air
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. club — for dancing
  16. squash — the sport
  17. club — a group
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ground — a position
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. suit — to fit
  23. club — for golf
  24. ground — crushed

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