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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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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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 — money
  4. kick — in football
  5. wind — moving air
  6. season — in sport
  7. object — an aim
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. net — after costs
  12. object — a thing
  13. capital — a city
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. net — for catching
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. season — of the year
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. net — in sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. object — to protest
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bowl — to roll

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