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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — a permit
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. row — to paddle
  11. net — for catching
  12. land — a country
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. net — after costs
  15. row — a line
  16. wake — a trail
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. net — in sport
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pit — a hole

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