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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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. craft — a skill
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. staff — employees
  6. chair — a leader
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rule — government
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rule — a law
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lean — thin
  14. staff — employees
  15. bank — for money
  16. craft — boats
  17. hand — help
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — to bend
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. hand — in cards

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