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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cap — a lid
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lean — thin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cap — a hat
  13. can — a tin
  14. wind — moving air
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lean — to bend
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wind — moving air
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. can — a tin
  24. bass — low music

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