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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lean — thin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. field — farmland
  10. club — for golf
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. court — of law
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. club — a group
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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