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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tube — a container
  4. craft — boats
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cue — for pool
  7. march — the month
  8. present — the time now
  9. field — farmland
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. present — there
  14. field — for sport
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cue — a hint
  17. present — a gift
  18. field — a subject
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tube — the underground
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cue — a signal

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