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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wind — moving air
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spring — a coil
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rock — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. spring — the season
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. can — a tin
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pitch — completely
  22. spring — of water
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bat — for baseball

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