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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spell — magic
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rush — hurry
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spell — letters

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