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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wind — moving air
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pop — soda
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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