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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fall — the season
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pop — to visit
  24. calf — a young animal

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