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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. last — to go on
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cold — an illness
  10. wind — moving air
  11. last — finally
  12. wind — moving air
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fall — to drop
  18. last — final
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. craft — boats
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cold — the Cold War

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