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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wind — moving air
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ball — a great time
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pass — a permit
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wound — an injury

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