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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wind — moving air
  6. last — finally
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. last — final
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. snap — to click
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. craft — boats
  21. last — to go on
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ruler — for measuring

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