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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. 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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. dip — a sauce
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bank — for money
  6. can — a tin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bank — of a river
  11. clip — a video
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pit — in a race
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. can — a tin
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bank — for money

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