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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rock — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rock — a stone
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. face — to confront
  22. wind — moving air
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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