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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — after costs
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — in sport
  17. swing — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bank — for money
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. net — for catching
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — in golf

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