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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bass — low music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chair — a leader
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stand — to bear
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. row — a line
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. foot — a measure

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