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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: wind · staff · ground · bay · nail · squash · pass · pop

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pop — music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wind — moving air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. staff — a stick
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pop — soda
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. staff — employees
  17. pass — a permit
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ground — the earth
  20. staff — employees
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ground — a position
  24. squash — the sport

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