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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lie — to recline
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bound — certain
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bound — tied together
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. staff — employees
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lie — an untruth

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