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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 116 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's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lean — thin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stock — shares
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stock — goods

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