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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wind — moving air
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. staff — employees
  10. fine — all right
  11. staff — a stick
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stem — to come from
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — a container
  24. nail — on a finger

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