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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 124 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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468
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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. root — of a word
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fine — all right
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. lean — thin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. season — in sport
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. snap — to click
  15. season — of the year
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. arm — part of the body

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