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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. shower — rain
  3. wind — moving air
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wind — moving air
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. spell — letters
  11. swing — music
  12. track — a path
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. can — a tin
  19. shower — to wash
  20. spell — magic
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. track — a song

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