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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rash — a series
  8. wind — moving air
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. content — the amount
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. present — a gift
  17. suit — in cards
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. suit — to fit
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. content — happy

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