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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. object — a thing
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wax — to grow
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. firm — decided
  17. object — an aim
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. firm — steady
  20. object — to protest
  21. firm — a company
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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