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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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468
Word bank
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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. scale — in music
  3. cold — not warm
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cold — an illness
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wind — moving air
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mine — for digging

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