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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wind — moving air
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wound — an injury
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. swing — music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wound — an injury
  19. swing — to play on
  20. content — the amount
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. content — happy

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