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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. drill — the tool
  3. root — of a word
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wind — moving air
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. tube — the underground
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pass — a permit
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. root — the cause
  21. drill — a practice
  22. root — of a plant
  23. drill — army training
  24. wind — moving air

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