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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wind — moving air
  8. game — a match
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. swing — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. roll — a list
  19. swing — to play on
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. game — wild animals

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