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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pass — a permit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spring — of water
  9. wind — moving air
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spring — the season
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. spring — a coil
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. sharp — clever
  20. season — in sport
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fall — to drop
  24. season — of the year

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