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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 124 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bound — certain
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. dip — to sink
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wind — moving air
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cap — of ice
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rest — a break
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bound — obliged

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