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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wind — moving air
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mine — for digging
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mug — a cup
  10. land — a country
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rest — a break
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mug — a face
  24. squash — to crush

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