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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. net — in sport
  4. land — a country
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bulb — for light
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. suit — clothes
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. bulb — for light
  20. net — for catching
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. suit — in cards
  23. net — after costs
  24. suit — to fit

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