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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · deal · club · mate · trunk · rest · scale · sharp

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. club — a group
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — clever
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mate — a partner
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rest — a break
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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