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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 120 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — soda
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bat — the animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pop — music

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