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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. capital — a city
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pound — a weight
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bank — for money
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bank — for money
  23. capital — money
  24. bulb — for light

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