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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — a thing
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. root — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. object — an aim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. root — the cause
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. root — of a word
  14. object — to protest
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. swing — to play on
  19. toast — bread
  20. craft — boats
  21. swing — music
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wind — moving air

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