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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bore · capital · bass · deal · fan · lean · dip · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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. dip — a sauce
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bass — low music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. capital — a city
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lean — thin
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. capital — money

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