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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. hand — help
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bowl — to roll

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