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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. row — a line
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mug — a face
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. row — to paddle
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wind — to turn a key

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