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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lean — thin
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. kick — in football
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. present — the time now
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. present — a gift
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ground — a position
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. present — there
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wind — moving air

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