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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ground — a position
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bank — for money
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pit — in a race
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bank — for money
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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