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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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 — to wash
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — clothes
  6. root — the cause
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wind — moving air
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pass — a permit
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. suit — to fit
  23. root — of a word
  24. shower — rain

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