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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 120 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bear — the animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chip — to eat
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rest — a break
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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