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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse 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. tube — a container
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pit — in a race
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spell — letters
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. last — finally
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wind — moving air
  15. last — final
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. spell — a short time
  19. last — to go on
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. spell — magic

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