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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rest — a break
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. march — the month
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. can — a tin
  10. rock — music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wind — moving air
  14. can — a tin
  15. key — in music
  16. march — the month
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. march — music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mine — for digging

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