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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pop — soda
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pound — a weight
  10. kick — in football
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pop — to visit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pop — music
  23. rest — a break
  24. dip — to dunk

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