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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. can — a tin
  4. root — the cause
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wind — moving air
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. root — of a plant
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. current — of water
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wind — moving air
  13. kick — in football
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. can — a tin
  18. current — electric
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bound — certain
  21. root — of a word
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — happening now
  24. bound — tied together

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