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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. shower — rain
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. leaves — lets stay

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