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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. hand — in cards
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hand — help
  8. bore — to drill
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. present — the time now
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bore — to tire
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fine — all right
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lash — to lash out
  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