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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. fine — all right
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bass — low music
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spell — magic
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. object — an aim
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mine — for digging
  15. object — to protest
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spell — letters
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. object — a thing

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