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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bound — certain
  6. cell — a phone
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. saw — the tool
  11. face — to confront
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cell — in biology
  16. toast — bread
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. face — to point toward

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