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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 124 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. plane — a tool
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. wind — moving air
  10. spell — magic
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. spell — a short time
  13. board — a committee
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spell — letters
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. board — to get on
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bound — tied together
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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