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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — the earth
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. track — a path
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ground — a position
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cell — in biology
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. track — a song
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ground — crushed

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