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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. spring — the season
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. plane — a tool
  23. spring — of water
  24. bore — gave birth

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