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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lean — thin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — a thing
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. suit — in cards
  16. spell — magic
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lean — to bend
  23. suit — clothes
  24. spell — letters

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