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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. spell — magic
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stock — goods
  6. wind — moving air
  7. swing — music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spell — a short time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — the underground
  12. press — to push
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stock — shares
  17. swing — to play on
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. spell — letters
  20. wind — moving air
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — a container
  23. squash — the sport
  24. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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