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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. row — to paddle
  4. swing — in golf
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. track — a song
  7. wind — moving air
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. swing — music
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. staff — employees
  12. wind — moving air
  13. track — a path
  14. row — a line
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. staff — a stick
  17. track — to keep track
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. rush — hurry
  24. swing — to play on

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