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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. firm — a company
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. firm — steady
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. firm — decided
  13. wind — moving air
  14. can — to be able to
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rash — a series
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. can — a tin

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