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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. object — a thing
  5. suit — in cards
  6. object — an aim
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. row — a line
  10. suit — clothes
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stock — shares
  14. cap — a lid
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stock — goods
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cap — a hat
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. object — to protest
  24. suit — to fit

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