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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. clip — to cut
  5. suit — in cards
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cap — of ice
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. can — a tin
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. suit — clothes
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cap — a lid
  18. can — a tin
  19. cap — a hat
  20. suit — to fit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. wind — moving air

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