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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ground — a position
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bat — the animal
  21. suit — to fit
  22. ground — crushed
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wind — moving air

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