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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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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: chip · leaves · present · pass · pound · rash · wound · wind

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. present — the time now
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pound — a weight
  9. chip — to eat
  10. present — a gift
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. present — there
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pass — a permit

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