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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. net — after costs
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. spell — magic
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fine — all right
  21. wind — moving air
  22. net — for catching
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. net — in sport

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