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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — ground
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — thin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. land — a country
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rest — a break
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. land — to come down
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mark — a grade

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