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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wind — moving air
  4. object — a thing
  5. net — for catching
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wind — moving air
  9. object — an aim
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. net — in sport
  14. object — to protest
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. net — after costs
  20. squash — the sport
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cell — a phone

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