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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. object — an aim
  3. lean — to bend
  4. scale — in music
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. season — of the year
  10. staff — employees
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. object — to protest
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lean — thin
  16. snap — to click
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. season — in sport
  19. object — a thing
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wind — moving air
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — to eat
  24. staff — a stick

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