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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. season — in sport
  3. wind — moving air
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. object — an aim
  13. wind — moving air
  14. object — to protest
  15. craft — a skill
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. saw — the tool
  18. field — a subject
  19. object — a thing
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. craft — boats

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