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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — goods
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. club — a group
  24. wake — a trail

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