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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. staff — employees
  3. court — of law
  4. chest — of your body
  5. court — of a king
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wind — moving air
  11. march — the month
  12. present — the time now
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wind — moving air
  15. present — a gift
  16. pit — in a race
  17. staff — employees
  18. court — for sport
  19. present — there
  20. chest — a box
  21. march — the month
  22. bank — for money
  23. march — music
  24. bank — for money

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