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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fall — the season
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — letters
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wind — moving air
  16. band — a music group
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. band — a ring
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. trunk — of a car

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