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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. capital — a city
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cell — a phone
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. craft — boats
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. capital — money
  24. ball — a round shape

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