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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. suit — in cards
  10. field — a subject
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. field — for sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. field — farmland
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pound — a weight

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