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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bear — the animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — in cards
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. land — a country
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. march — the month
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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