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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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468
Word bank
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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. deal — to handle
  3. tube — the underground
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tube — a container
  12. ground — a position
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. content — the amount
  19. wind — moving air
  20. content — happy
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fork — in a road

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