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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. last — finally
  3. tube — a container
  4. board — a committee
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. last — final
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. degree — from a university
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. last — to go on
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wind — moving air
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. degree — an amount
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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