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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — to protest
  3. lean — thin
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. object — a thing
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wind — moving air
  11. band — a music group
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. object — an aim
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. face — to confront
  16. lean — to bend
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. face — part of the head
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. band — a ring
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wake — a trail
  24. racket — for tennis

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