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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. spell — letters
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. tube — the underground
  7. suit — to fit
  8. spell — a short time
  9. suit — clothes
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stem — to come from
  16. spell — magic
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. shower — rain
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — a container
  23. can — a tin
  24. suit — in cards

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