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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pass — a permit
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. object — to protest
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. object — a thing
  13. row — to paddle
  14. content — happy
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. snap — to click
  18. suit — to fit
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. suit — in cards
  21. content — the amount
  22. row — a line
  23. wind — moving air
  24. object — an aim

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