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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. can — a tin
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spring — of water
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. spring — a coil
  18. can — to be able to
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tear — from crying
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rock — music

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