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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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. rush — a thrill
  4. row — a line
  5. chip — for betting
  6. board — a committee
  7. suit — in cards
  8. spell — magic
  9. board — to get on
  10. spell — letters
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. date — the fruit
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spell — a short time
  21. row — to paddle
  22. chip — to eat
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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