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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 124 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. scale — in music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wind — moving air
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bore — to tire
  16. shower — rain
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — size or range
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rest — a break
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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