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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. craft — boats
  4. capital — a city
  5. craft — a skill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. capital — money
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bark — to shout
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wind — moving air
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wave — with your hand

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