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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. land — to come down
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — in cards
  15. can — a tin
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. race — a contest
  18. land — ground
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. hand — help
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wind — moving air

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