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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 120 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rest — a break
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wind — moving air
  6. march — music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. march — the month
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wind — moving air

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