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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. sharp — clever
  9. kick — in football
  10. rock — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wind — moving air
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wind — moving air

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