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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wind — moving air
  10. file — a tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. row — a line
  15. mug — a face
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wind — moving air
  22. file — a document
  23. mug — a cup
  24. lash — an eyelash

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