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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tear — from crying
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bark — to shout
  18. tear — from crying

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