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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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. march — music
  4. pop — music
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cap — a hat
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. cap — a lid
  11. march — the month
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rash — a series
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rash — on the skin

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