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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: object · wind · suit · track · pop · fall · mug · roll

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. roll — a cake
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pop — music
  6. suit — in cards
  7. object — to protest
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mug — a cup
  10. suit — clothes
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pop — soda
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. track — a song
  19. fall — the season
  20. object — an aim
  21. track — a path
  22. wind — moving air
  23. roll — a list
  24. object — a thing

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