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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. craft — boats
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. clip — for paper
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. suit — to fit
  9. present — the time now
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. clip — a video
  12. tube — a container
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — clothes
  19. craft — a skill
  20. tube — the underground
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fine — all right
  23. band — a ring
  24. fine — high quality

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