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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — to point toward
  6. can — to be able to
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stem — to come from
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ball — a dance
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fan — a supporter

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