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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bear — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wind — moving air
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bear — the animal

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