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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. hand — help
  3. saw — the tool
  4. root — of a word
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. board — a committee
  7. root — of a plant
  8. net — for catching
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mug — a face
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. board — to get on
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mug — to rob
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — a cup
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. root — the cause
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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