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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. sharp — clever
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pit — in a race
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wind — moving air

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