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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lie — to recline
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — a division
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. net — for catching
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bore — to tire

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