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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. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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. temple — a place of worship
  4. press — to push
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fine — all right
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rash — a series
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rash — hasty
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wind — moving air
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. content — the amount

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