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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. band — a music group
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. band — a ring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lean — thin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — a series
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wind — moving air
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lean — to bend

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