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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 best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bore — to drill
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cap — a lid
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cap — of ice
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wind — moving air
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bass — low music
  24. foot — a measure

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