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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bore — to tire
  7. scale — size or range
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wind — moving air
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spell — magic
  15. bore — to drill
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hand — help
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. scale — in music
  20. spell — letters
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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