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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. squash — to crush
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spring — of water
  5. pound — a weight
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wind — moving air
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spring — the season
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. squash — the sport

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