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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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Word bank
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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: lean · wind · bay · rush · cap · wound · wake · calf

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wind — moving air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lean — thin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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