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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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. wind — moving air
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. last — finally
  10. spring — of water
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. last — final
  14. bulb — for light
  15. dip — to sink
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spring — a coil
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. chair — a leader
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. last — to go on
  24. spring — the season

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