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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wind — moving air
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ground — a position

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