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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. kid — to tease
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lean — thin
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chip — for betting
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. season — of the year
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. row — to paddle
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wind — moving air
  13. kid — child
  14. season — in sport
  15. row — a line
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. kick — in football
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lean — to rest against

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