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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — a division
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. track — a path
  19. snap — to click
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wind — moving air
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. suit — clothes
  24. track — a song

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