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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. object — a thing
  4. game — a match
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. capital — money
  12. wind — moving air
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. object — an aim
  15. capital — a city
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. object — to protest
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bound — certain
  21. staff — employees
  22. wind — moving air
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — tied together

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