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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. court — of law
  3. spell — magic
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. net — for catching
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rash — a series
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. net — in sport
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. spell — letters
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. court — for sport
  15. spell — a short time
  16. court — of a king
  17. net — after costs
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cabinet — ministers

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