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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. drill — army training
  4. rock — a stone
  5. drill — the tool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. club — for golf
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wind — moving air
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rock — music
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. drill — a practice
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. game — a match
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. club — a group
  23. game — wild animals
  24. leaves — to go away

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