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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mark — a grade
  11. kick — in football
  12. branch — a division
  13. mark — a trace
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lash — to lash out

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