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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. deal — to handle
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. field — farmland
  6. wind — moving air
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. field — for sport
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. face — part of the head
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. face — to confront
  21. field — a subject
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rush — hurry

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