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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. dip — to sink
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. season — of the year
  10. foot — a measure
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. season — in sport
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. chip — in a computer

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