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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wind — moving air
  4. branch — a division
  5. capital — money
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. suit — clothes
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rest — a break
  10. suit — in cards
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. suit — to fit
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. board — to get on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — a permit
  19. capital — a city
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. board — a committee
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. board — a flat piece

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