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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. season — of the year
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. prune — to trim
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. board — to get on
  15. craft — a skill
  16. drill — a practice
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. drill — army training
  19. lie — to recline
  20. drill — the tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. craft — boats

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