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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bank — for money
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mark — a trace
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. clip — a video
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bulb — for light
  24. clip — for paper

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