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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. clip — a video
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — moving air
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. clip — for paper
  20. shower — rain
  21. current — happening now
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. clip — to cut
  24. chair — a leader

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