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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tear — from crying
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hand — help
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mine — for digging
  23. hand — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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