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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. face — part of the head
  5. object — an aim
  6. dip — to sink
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitch — completely
  9. firm — a company
  10. face — to confront
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. firm — decided
  13. object — a thing
  14. face — to point toward
  15. squash — to crush
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. firm — steady
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. object — to protest

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