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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chest — a box
  5. track — a path
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. branch — a division
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chest — of your body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rush — hurry
  21. track — a song
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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