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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lean — thin
  3. snap — to click
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ground — crushed
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ground — a position
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. ground — the earth
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. kick — in football
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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