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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rock — a stone
  10. object — a thing
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fine — all right
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. object — to protest
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. object — an aim
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rock — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. kick — a thrill

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