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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mug — a face
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. spell — a short time
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. can — a tin
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. spell — magic
  13. squash — to crush
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. net — in sport
  16. wind — moving air
  17. kick — in football
  18. wind — moving air
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. hand — in cards
  21. can — a tin
  22. spell — letters
  23. squash — the sport
  24. can — to be able to

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