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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. dip — to sink
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. spring — a coil
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. land — to come down
  8. bank — for money
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bank — of a river
  11. spring — of water
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — ground
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — to point toward
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spring — the season
  19. toast — bread
  20. face — part of the head
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. land — a country
  23. face — to confront
  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