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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. court — of law
  5. cold — not warm
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rest — a break
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rest — what's left
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. court — of a king
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. court — for sport

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