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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. roll — a cake
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — to paddle
  9. roll — a list
  10. row — a line
  11. toast — bread
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rule — a law
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rule — government
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. net — for catching
  24. wax — to grow

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