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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. board — to get on
  8. row — a line
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wind — moving air
  11. clip — a video
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bat — the animal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cap — a lid
  17. clip — to cut
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. clip — for paper
  23. board — a committee
  24. row — a quarrel

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