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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. land — ground
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stem — to come from
  5. land — to come down
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. charge — in control
  12. wind — moving air
  13. land — a country
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. swing — music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rush — to hurry

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