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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. march — the month
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. march — music
  5. object — to protest
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. mug — a face
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. prune — to trim
  16. march — the month
  17. object — an aim
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mug — to rob
  21. object — a thing
  22. wind — moving air
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mug — a cup

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