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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fine — all right
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pop — soda
  12. stock — goods
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fall — the season
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stock — shares
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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