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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wind — moving air
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. band — a ring
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pass — a permit
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. deal — to handle
  23. band — a music group
  24. leaves — of a tree

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