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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. row — to paddle
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. row — a line
  10. dip — to sink
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. band — a ring
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. track — a path
  23. wind — moving air
  24. band — a music group

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