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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. staff — employees
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ball — a dance
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rash — a series
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — hasty

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