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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wind — moving air
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rash — a series
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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