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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. board — a committee
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rule — a law
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. board — to get on
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rule — government
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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