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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 124 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tear — to rip
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bass — the fish
  10. staff — employees
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — in cards
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rash — a series
  15. staff — a stick
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. staff — employees
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. tear — from crying
  24. plane — in geometry

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