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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 116 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. file — a tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. plane — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wind — moving air
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. file — a document
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rest — a break
  20. band — a music group
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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