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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. content — happy
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mine — for digging
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — the amount
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mate — a friend
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mate — to breed

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