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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wind — moving air
  5. net — in sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wind — moving air
  12. capital — money
  13. roll — a list
  14. hand — help
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. net — for catching
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. net — after costs
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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