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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mug — a face
  10. swing — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wind — moving air
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — in golf

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